Gullible
by Novoux
Summary: Desmond should learn never to piss off Ezio. It will be the death of him one of these days... AU For Dark-Zeblock


A simple task. Going to the grocery store, pick up some items to restock their fridge, and then head back. But Ezio still had bad feelings about letting his boyfriend go. He always worried that there would be something to go wrong whenever he didn't go out with him. But he had work to do, and he had a bunch of papers to check over for his lovely not-so-fantastic job as a schoolteacher. Now Ezio hoped his boyfriend would make it home without any problems his mind conjured for him.

The clock told him in a matter-of-fact tone that Il Lupo had been out for an hour and it only took thirty minutes to go to the store, shop, and get back. Damn the smart-ass clock. Had it really been this long since he left? Well, now Ezio's mind worried even more. Scenes of broken and mangled bodies thrown from their smoking cars appeared in front of his eyes but he shook his head to relieve himself of any more stress.

He wasn't _overprotective_, per say, it just happened to be that he cared for his boyfriend. Possibly more than necessary, maybe. Well, it was justifiable in his mind so any other opinions didn't bother him. At least he wasn't stalking him like some creeper because Ezio had morals. His eyes darted to his cellphone in his hand he had fiddled with nervously and that made it even worse. Maybe he could send another text to add to the ones that Lupo hadn't responded to.

_'Hey, where r u? Ur not answring my txts. Sumthing happen?'_

Putting the phone back down, he waited. It was going to kill him if he kept worrying so much. _But_, what if something really did happen and that was why Il Lupo wasn't answering his phone? Sure his boyfriend was more of the silent type of person who really didn't respond to anything (much less a Godforsaken text message) unless it was sent by Ezio (Normally in an emergency, he'd usually glance and then not reply unless if Ezio was having a panic attack or burnt the house down) or one of his colleagues from some workplace that Ezio never learned where he worked. That didn't matter though and the point was that Lupo was not responding. Dammit.

Five minutes passed since sending the texts. His brain was becoming haywire like a burning wire and making him worry even more. Surely one simple menial task wouldn't take to long, would it? Usually Lupo was gone and back in ten minutes flat but this was ridiculous. He did however fight the very, very, _very _strong urge back to call his boyfriend because he could be driving and he probably wouldn't like to know Ezio was _panicking_, but it was more _worrying_.

His phone rang and his heart jumped to his throat in its excitement. He picked up immediately though and it was then he realized his fingers were sweating and he didn't check the caller ID.

"Hey, Ezio. This you?" The voice belonging to the speaker made Ezio bang his head against the wall with an audible groan. "Whoa, man, chill, I didn't realize I interrupted something..."

It took a few minutes to realize what his cousin Desmond had just said before putting his phone back up to his ear. "No, Desmond. I may not be a virgin but my boyfriend is. What the hell do you want?"

On the other side of the line he heard some faint chuckling that sounded like crying. His heart pulsed faster in its place. "If you say so. Well, I wanted to tell you that I saw a car accident coming home from McDonald's and it looks pretty serious. You know anyone with a red Chevy Camaro?"

His stomach churned and he nearly dropped the phone while the silence lasted for several agonizing moments. His worst nightmare was coming true. "Ezio?" Desmond called tentatively but Ezio's mind was racing in the thoughts of the possibilities that Lupo was in that accident and_ that was his car_. How dense could Desmond be without realizing this?

"Yeah, I'm here. What happened?" The Italian was grinding his teeth and clenching his free hand to keep his composure. Being a veteran from Afghanistan wasn't too fun if you happened to have some PTSD issues and became stressed.

"A car veered off the other side of the road down going 50 miles per hour and the red Camaro was on my side of the lane. The other car, a silver Avalon hit the Camaro and trashed both cars. There's a lot of blood and Malik and Kadar are with me and they saw it too. Right now the police are coming but it looks like it's too late for the red Camaro driver. We're trying to help them right now."

His heart fell into his stomach and boiled in the acid. "_What?_" His voice slurred and it sounded like he was drunk off of his own panic.

"Are you drunk, Ezio? That's concerning because if you're home alone and you have a phone along with several other items you could probably use for torture-"

"No, Desmond, I'm not drunk." That sounded as convincing as a vegan polar bear.

"Hey, is Lupo home with you? Did he give you too much wine? I wouldn't think so, but if he did-"

"No, he's not." His voice sounded so small and airy then and he couldn't stop the images of mangled bodies involving his boyfriend out of his head.

"Are you okay? I-" Sirens cut off Desmond in the background and Ezio was panicking. "Shit, shit, shit." Ezio murmured to himself and pulled on his shoes and coat.

"I got to go, Ezio. I don't suggest heading down the highway because it's a wreck." Desmond was about to hang up and Ezio couldn't let that happen.

"Wait! What is the scene there? Where are you!?"

"I thought you didn't like knowing about these things...but okay then. The driver of the Avalon was high and he smashed his head into the windshield. He's still breathing and we got him out of the car and he's bleeding all over, 'specially from his head. The Camaro driver doesn't look too good, I don't think-" Was it Il Lupo or not!? Why had God made him related to such an_ idiot_...

"Tell _me_." The Italian grit out between his clenched teeth. Il Lupo's body mangled with his head split open, arms twisted in directions they should never face, legs mangled beyond recognition-

"Fine, fine, pushy. His head's cut open pretty badly and he doesn't look like he's alive anymore. Oh shit!" His end of the line crackled when he heard the screeching tires of a car and the conversation ended with a loud sound of an explosion of some sort. The Italian jumped at the noise instinctively.

Ezio knew he shouldn't get involved but dammit, his boyfriend could be dead right now and he wouldn't have done a single thing. Whether or not to go and find out if it was his boyfriend was a battle against himself and his conscious. He just couldn't stop picturing his boyfriend, lying there in the street and people surrounding him because they tried to help him and they know he's dying and they're not doing _anything_ about it.

His hands were shaking and he hadn't realized. It was something he did when he was stressed but now he wasn't just stressed; he was_ fucking_ panicking. He didn't have his car key to his car because he had lost it so that option wasn't available and now he could either run for all he was worth just to see if it was actually Lupo involved.

Instead he shakily called Desmond several times but his cousin didn't answer. Each automatic messaging tone made his heart ache even more and his head spin. He gave up on Desmond and decided to call Lupo but the latter didn't answer as well and now his body was frozen with dread. Voice message after voice message made Ezio feel sick and his muscles numb and he couldn't believe this was _actually_ happening. Not only was his boyfriend possibly dead, but his cousin could be too.

His phone lie on the counter top while he stood in the kitchen pondering to himself. Denial and straight-out horror raced through his veins and for one time in his life he didn't know what to do and he felt so broken. In the army he didn't have to worry about what to do because his mind could always think of suggestions and solutions instantly. Now he was drawing blanks.

Desmond's voice before they were disconnecting didn't help at all either. Did another car hit the wrecked cars? It was very much possible and Ezio shoved his face into his hands while his elbows rested on the counter top. His fingers flexed like claws as he tried to compose himself but this was too much. Lupo was the longest and in his opinion the _best _relationship he'd ever had besides the numerous one night stands in high school and part of college. He was damn lucky he didn't have any STDs.

Blood, enough of it to paint the entire road and the inside of the cars flashed in his eyes. Broken, mangled bodies slowly losing the life source and ebbing away from Earth. He didn't want to believe it was happening to Lupo and he wasn't doing anything!

The TV was already on and he hesitantly changed the channel to channel two, where there was a breaking news report in a blue moving banner across the top that made his heart sink like the Titanic while the weather report was on.

**BREAKING NEWS: FATAL TWO CAR COLLISION TURNED THREE CAR COLLISION DUE TO DRUNK DRIVER. POLICE ARE CLOSING OFF THE HIGHWAYS AND ADVISE EVERYONE TO STAY HOME. DO NOT USE HIGHWAY SIX IF YOU ARE GOING ANYWHERE. TAKE THE LONGER ROUTE AROUND BY GOING DOWN FLORENCE.**

Ezio crumpled to the counter like a dead flower and groaned in his misery. Now he had no chance to go out and find Il Lupo. Desperately he reached for his phone but he felt his chest constrict and his throat closed with a sob that didn't make it past his throat. He held the phone gingerly in his hand and saw that he had one new text message. Instantly hope was restored that soon fell away when he saw who it was from.

_'Hey, Im on tv! anyways, des told me youre home alone. wheres ur bf?'_

Ezio quickly texted back to Kadar but doubted it would help his currently breaking and dissolving heart. Those stories of dying of heartbreak didn't seem real until now when he thought he actually could. Well, at least Kadar wasn't dead.

_'He's nt home, the store. Its been an hr an a half and hes not home. Is he involved at the wreck?'_

Kadar's message 'ping'-ed almost right after he sent the information about his boyfriend.

_'Im at a wreck, and its strange cause the car looks like ur bf's...shit.'_

Ezio was even more distraught now. '_What the fuck is it, KAdar? What happened?'_

_'srry dude, gtg. ttyl.'_

Ezio swore enough to make a sailor cry before replying. '_fuck u. y won't u tell me wht hppned?'_

The Italian lost all hope when his friend didn't reply. Now it was six thirty, and Lupo was most likely killed in a car accident from some idiotic driver that Ezio would _murder_ if he lived. The TV flashed and there was live footage of the scene of the wreck while some blonde chick was talking about 'such a horrible tragedy' and other shit such as 'why you shouldn't drink and do drugs'. Ezio kicked off his shoes and threw his coat on the floor in defeat as she told the _entire fucking world _that the driver of the red Camaro had been killed. The other two were rushed to the hospital and in the ICU.

So she did cover the entire story and Ezio felt even more miserable. A man in a silver Avalon was driving high on marijuana and he crashed into the other driver. Then after a while when traffic was stopping a drunk driver had collided into the two cars. The man in the red Camaro was brutally injured and had little to no chance to live while the other drivers didn't suffer as much but their wounds were fatal.

The scene cut to a few commercials Ezio didn't care for before the woman on the TV screen came back and announced that the two drivers that were alive had died from their injuries.

His brain went on a lock down and he couldn't breathe. His throat choked up with a cry of agony that was building inside him and his head spun. He felt like the day his brother died from a land mine during the war and he had taken off all of his armor and let the Taliban shoot at him while daring to challenge them to kill him.

Remembering the memory was a painful thing but his brain was content with letting him suffer until he perished. Federico, Malik, and Ezio were walking back to base camp but the field they were walking over was booby-trapped and Federico was unlucky enough to step on the ground directly above a land mine. Ezio remembered how Federico let out a blood curdling scream that haunted Ezio for the rest of his time in the army (and in civilization until he met Il Lupo) when his body had been torn apart and blown to bits. The Italain was beside him, only several feet away and was nearly honorably discharged like Malik was because he had lost his arm due to the fact he was closer to Federico.

Ezio suffered a serious concussion and severe injuries over his entire body and felt like he couldn't live anymore when the nurse told him his brother had died. Tears didn't fall from his eyes, but he let out a painful scream to show how he felt. Malik was in the cot next to him and unconscious from an infection that made its way to the stump of his arm after he had it amputated.

For weeks in the infirmary Malik and Ezio sat together and comforted each other while the wounds of war were still fresh in their minds. Ezio had no other family left due to his father passing years ago and his mother from cancer. His younger brother Petruccio was born with a rare disease that took his life shortly after he turned thirteen. At least Malik had his brother Kadar who he didn't allow him to go on the mission they went on before heading over the cursed field.

Ezio sat with his head in his hands and was content to stare at nothing while he wasn't really looking at anything but more so reflecting on the past. He had met Il Lupo after his tour was over and he was given a therapist to help him rehabilitate. A small smile reached his face when he recalled how they first met and how much he hated the other man because he thought everyone assumed he was crazy.

Il Lupo had shown him the opposite of what he expected every single time he came over to Ezio's house on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Somehow the other was able to coax him to come out of the protective walls he put around himself and make him want to live again. Il Lupo was his therapist for two years until he was promoted but by that time their meager friendship had become a strong relationship Ezio couldn't bear to lose.

It was him and the TV that changed back to the main news office instead of the accident scene and he couldn't bother to watch anymore. His heart was fully destroyed and the love of his life (whom he planned on being with forever) was unofficially dead.

Then his phone rang and snapped him out of his reverie. His movements were sluggish and sloppy because he had shut himself down to block out the pain but that didn't work.

"Ezio? You still there?" After a few calls of 'Hello?' Desmond was wondering what was wrong with the other.

"Yes," He sighed with so much sorrow he felt himself on the verge of breaking down. "I'm here. What is it?"

"Oh, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You sounded pretty upset earlier and I did also want to tell you Malik, Kadar and I made it out of the craze alive." Desmond chuckled and he didn't realize the horrid effect it had on Ezio.

"I'm fine." He couldn't convince an idiot with how he sounded. And Desmond was pretty shallow.

"No, you're not. What's the matter? Something happen? Lupo and you fight?" His cousin was being too annoying and he almost hung up on him. Seriously? If his boyfriend wasn't home, how could they possibly fight especially if he wasn't picking up his damn phone?

"I'm _fucking fine_, Desmond. Leave me alone." Ezio snapped and hung up. He stared at his phone for several minutes before his stare turned to a glare and he threw the phone across the living room where it hit the wall with a loud 'bang!' and somehow managed to not break. That was the phone Lupo bought him for his birthday because he kept breaking his other ones. Damn it. Everything was reminding him of his boyfriend that was dead.

Time passed and Ezio didn't give a fuck because he didn't have to anymore. His family was dead, his boyfriend...and now the mental anguish came back for another round after he tried and nearly failed to block it out. He hated dealing with emotions and he was the best schoolteacher because he had a 'don't give a fuck' attitude that made the college kids he taught respect him.

He didn't know how long it was and how many times his phone rang while he sat on the floor in the kitchen and did nothing. His entire self was numb and he didn't want to do _anything_ anymore.

"Ezio, are you home?" A voice called that sounded like Malik's from an open window near the front door. The door unlocked and Ezio froze as he heard the locks come undone and the doorknob turn to open the door. How were they able to get in? He didn't remember giving Malik a key.

"Hello?" Kadar called out and he heard footsteps.

"He said he was fine but he hung up on me and sounded upset to me earlier." Desmond's voice reached his ears while Malik and Kadar walked around in search of the Italian.

"Not surprising. He's not one for emotions." Another voice added and he didn't hear because he didn't want to hear the news that his boyfriend was dead.

"Ezio? Ezio? Where are you?" Desmond shrugged at the other and joined Malik and Kadar to search for him.

"His favorite coat's on the floor...and his shoes? Wait! Found him!" Kadar exclaimed when he saw Ezio's form in the kitchen. "Hey, are you okay?"

Ezio didn't answer but stared at the other male's shoes while another person walked in.

"Ezio, are you okay?" Still nothing. Too much shock from the fact he believed Lupo was dead. Unbeknownst to him Kadar and the other two were shooed away into the living room while one person knelt in front of him.

"Hey, are you okay?" A hand on his cheek made him look up and stare in bewilderment and horror mixed with surprise. Immediately Ezio launched himself on the other and tackled him to the floor.

"H-Hey, what was that for!?" His boyfriend cried and Ezio searched him for any injuries but saw he was unscathed. Desmond and the others had reappeared while Ezio hugged Lupo tightly like a teddy bear.

"Is it my birthday or something that compelled you to do this?" His lover asked and it took several more moments before Ezio could speak from his shock.

"I thought you were dead, dammit!" He still couldn't believe his eyes and Lupo gave him a questioning stare.

"Why?"

"I saw the car crash on the news! How are you still alive!? That was your car!" His excitement could have been mistaken for anger. Il Lupo then held the expression that he remembered what Ezio was talking about.

"You didn't tell him I had to go drop off a friend from work?" Lupo directed his attention to Desmond and the other sheepishly smiled.

"Obviously not." Malik muttered while Desmond backed away. Ezio pulled himself off of his boyfriend before pulling up the other and turning to his cousin.

"I-I didn't mean to! I forgot!" And his cousin backed away for the door when he saw Ezio's face contort into a death glare. Kadar laughed at the misfortune of Desmond while Ezio turned to Il Lupo.

"What happened to your phone? I texted you and called you but you never replied." His face was heartbroken but the other pressed his lips against Ezio's in an apology.

"Sorry, I forgot to charge it and it died on me." Then Ezio stole another kiss before directing his attention back to his slowly retreating cousin.

"You_ asshole_." He growled and Desmond held his hands out in front of him.

"I said I was sorry, can't you forgive me?!" Ezio was after him when he bolted out the door and promptly tackled him to the grass.

"You did that on purpose, you shithead!"

"Maybe I did 'cause you're such an ass! What're you gonna do abou- Ow! Fuck!"

Malik and Kadar along with Il Lupo watched the scene of Ezio not-so-playfully or gently punching his cousin so his kids (if he ever had any) would feel it.

"Ow, dammit! Stop! I said I was sor- Ow! _Fottiti_!" Satisfied with his work, Ezio pulled himself off of his cousin and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him over to Malik and Kadar while he pulled Il Lupo close.

"Desmond made me believe that you were killed," He murmured into his boyfriend's ear and the other chuckled softly.

"He's known for pushing your buttons. You should stop being so gullible." The Italian promptly licked his ear and Lupo suppressed a shudder.

"You should stop making me worry about you. But then again, that's impossible." He gave him a lingering kiss and the other smiled softly.

"You are far too gullible, Ezio."

"And you are too irresistible."

"Get a room!" Desmond called out to the pair and Malik thwacked him on the back of his head with the palm of his hand. "This was your fault, you know." He informed Desmond cruelly. The other rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Tell me something I don't."

"Well... Ezio may try to kill you later with a poker. I did hear that in one of his many threats while he was tackling you." Kadar informed him cheerily and took amusement in Desmond's new-found horror.

To his surprise, Ezio had released Il Lupo (somewhat reluctantly) and was in fact holding a poker. And the look on his face wasn't very reassuring.

"I said I was sorry, dammit! Don't hurt me!" Desmond sprinted down the street with Ezio following not too far behind.

"Will he ever learn not to piss off an ex-army soldier?"

Il Lupo shook his head at Kadar with a sly smile.

"Nope."

_Fin_

* * *

**This was for the lovely Dark-Zeblock, and I really enjoyed writing this. Hopefully this fits the bill for tragedy and humor, no? **

**Thanks for reading!_  
_**


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